Here’s What People Will Be Drinking at the Oscars

As part of a multi-year agreement with the Oscars, the champagne manufacturer will be supplying 1,000 magnums this year for use at the ceremony, the Governor’s Ball, and related events like the nominee luncheon.

In case you were wondering what Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson will be drinking on Oscar night, we're here to tell you that it's good to be king—and queen.

Piper-Heidsieck is the official Champagne of the Oscars this year, and P-H is some pretty haughty stuff. But good bubbly is not fine enough for Oscar night. Benoit Collard, the Global Executive Director of the brand known for its distinctive red label, told us that "to celebrate the evening's exceptional moments," the really exceptional Champagne will be rolled out. We're talking about a selection of so-called cuvée rare Champagnes. These are bottles that are only created during "very particular and 'extraordinary' years." With only eight such vintages since 1976, cuvée rare wine is the ne plus ultra of Champagne.

Collard says that Rare 1998, a magnum-only cuvée, will be served at a dedicated bar near the entrance to the Ray Dolby Ballroom, which is where the Oscars are to be held this Sunday. Glasses of Rare 2002 will be poured at the Governor's Ball, the official party of the Oscars. And Rare 1988 will go only to the rarest of actors—those who make it to the so-called "engraving room," where their names are engraved on the naked, golden statuette they just won.

In Collard's words, if you find yourself with a glass of one of these Champagnes in your hand, "You'll experience something we never thought we would ever do, which is create a limited-edition product that will never actually be sold."

We had a chance to taste the Champagne ourselves, and while this author doesn't claim to be any kind of expert, the bubbly was pleasantly crisp, distinctly floral, and was on the dry side. Oscar winners and losers alike are in for a treat.

Founded in 1785, Piper-Heidsieck is one of France's oldest Champagne brands. As part of a multi-year agreement with the Oscars, the Champagne manufacturer will be supplying 1,000 magnums this year for use at the ceremony, the Governor's Ball, and related events like the nominee luncheon. A specialty bottle with a custom label has been produced for the partnership.

Collard points out that the Oscars are not the booziest of award shows. "Because they don't drink during the actual ceremony, people drink a lot less at the Oscars than they do at say the Golden Globes," he says. Still, plenty of bubbly will be downed: "People on average will drink about one bottle for themselves, which may seem like a lot, but that's about one glass every hour or so. Six glasses is roughly one bottle of Champagne."

That sounds like quite a bit of Champagne to us. Then again, if you find yourself winning an Oscar, you may not even remember what you drank at all that night—rare cuvée or not.